Process and apparatus for eliminating onion seeds from grain



Max. 3, 1925. S

H. J. DANIEL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING ONION SEEDS FROM GRAIN Filed Jan. 10. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. J. DANIEL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATI NG ONION SEEDS. FROM GRAI N Filed Jan 10 1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M f 3 v M 3 a J Y W m 7 qw v M i WITNESSES Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

HENRY :r. DANIEL, "For "geranium; VIRGINIA.

Apiiucafi n fi e Jem a y log-1923; Serial No. 611,798.

\ j a V throughacleanerwthe action of the blower Be ittkno wn that IQEHENRY JKDANIEL, a willeflectively separate the oni'ons from the citizenof the. U nited statesvand resident o-f 1 grain and therebyincrease -the fsa1e-va1tie of sntherlin in the county of Pittsylvania and the grain br 2OI% c- 5 Statefo fvirginia havelinventedcertain new Other 0bjects and advantages wi11 be' apv andruseful Improvements in yrpcesses and parent duringthe ceiirse 0fthe foll o'wing Apparatus for EliminatingflOn'ion Seeds-description. 1 U V from Grain, of which the following is a In the accompanying drawingforming a specification;- i part 9f this application, andiin, which like To all whom itnmay concern:

-.10 This invention relates to an ;apparatus numerals are employed to designate likeand process .for ,separating'onion seedsfr'e-m.: parts throughcutthe-same,. c grain, such as Wheat, barley and cats}, v Figure 1 is aperspectiveiof anappaifatus In highly cultivated agriculttiraL districts constructed in accordance with this invenonionstgrow along with the grain and when I ticn. lithe grain is r s d, 30116 O s, a efll gure 2 is a horizontal sectional view V thrashed and ordinarily remain with-the thro ught the-same. 1

grain during the c1e'aning and -grindingn- Figure 3 is a vertical sectional 'view -.pr 0ces s. The presenceef fonicn see d injthe thrqughitheapparatus. v e I grain is very undesirable for the reason that Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional, view 20 during the grindihg pfi the the enion; take-non line 44 of Figure 3. e

seeds'arecrackedand the sapmixes with the In 'the' drawing :Wherein for the .pi'u pcse flour and forms. dough, which is heavily of illustration is shown a preferredi-erifiodicoated about. the, grinding rellers rThi's ment of the invention the numeral'5gfi'ner V coating bf dough abeutltherclleirs'chckes the ally designates a cylinder having communii V 25 mi11andcan be removed 0n1'y"by stepping cation Witha steam supjflyjpi'pe 6andby75 thejmilljand scraping re 11ers, allfct vhich reference to Figure 3 it willbe bbservedfthat hinders the. productioii and is very un'des'ira' plurality. of grain vcentaining fluesT'Z'are able. V e H i I H v e t extended loiigitu'c'linally through the cylinder Furthermore they presence of the enion er seed container 5.- In carrying utjth'e in- 30 .seeds ill the grain gives the flciir a very un: vention the grain is confined in the'fiue's 7 desirabl e taste and ccnseqnently reiiders'the for the desired period by means of aislide fiourlesssaleable. 2 a 1 valve 8 having a pliirality of openings 9 Therefore an i "'pertantfohj'ect of this in: hifch may rbe brought into-'registrationwith vent-ioh isto' effectively remove oaien eeds; the discharge endof the fines. HQwever,

35 frbm thegra-in'prier t'c grindin'gflcf'thegrain during the treatment-ofthegrain the epen 45 lnevcarryingr-qout.the invention the gi ain' Wherehy'the flo'iir vViH'nbt becda-ted'bh the ings 9 in th'e slide valves 8 are pesitioned out" rollers and will.be entirelylfieecf'the 'preefi'egistratien with the fiues 7 so as to pre vioiisiy mentioned undesirable taste. vent the discharge of the grain."

A further object is to provide simple When the grain in the fines-*7 have been 40 and reliable means whereby the precess mayflpresentedyto the action ef thestea-m heatfor 0 be carried but Witheut inany way lowering: lithe desired peri'odithe slide valves 8 varmy the quality ef the gr ai 1 1 ahd vyhich ivill in lbemanuallymoved by means of-the handle fact dry the grain and; thereby prepare the-12 and the contents rofthevseve ral fi iesdlse same for grinding a nd ship'ping. charged. Itivill be'ohserved that these'veral i i flues-7 are gradually increasedin diameter. 5 containingtheenipn seeds; is subjeeted to the w h r lQ l Ed S h t action eefnste'am Wheat forjai predeterminedfi ffq 8 move d to lts open qg flg n, h iperiodrvv'ith the-resirlt' he; the enjoi s. are g ain w ll drop y from the fis'o the rendered chaff-like, very light and lifeless q c y- I :seth-at whenathe grain is subsequently fiessed i ti i' e riti ofi fSrdii'Gtd 2 3 which illustrates an inlet valve 16 slidahle over the upper ends of the fines 7 and having a plurality of openings 18 adapted for communication with the inlet ends of the several fines.

hen the openings 18 are in registration with the several fines 7 the grain may enter the fines from the hopper 20 and when the openings are out of registration with the fines 7 the supply of grain to the several fines is prevented. A slide valve 16 is provided with a handle or gripping member 21 by means of which the valve may be operated or adjusted. Figure 2 illustrates that the cylinder is provided with. a pair of .inwardly directed guide flanges 22 which overhang the valve 16.

In Figure 1 it is illustrated that the cylinder 5 is provided with a pressure gauge 30, a safety valve 31 and a drain pipe 32 by means of which the condensed steam may be returned to the boiler or into a receptacle provided for the purpose.

In operation the grain containing the onion seeds is passed into the hopper 20 and the valve 16 is positioned so that the grain and onion seeds therein may enter the several fines 7. The valve 8 of course isarranged in closed position so that the remature discharge of grain is preventec. As the several fines are entirely surrounded by the steam which as known is maintained at a definite temperature, the heat of the steam will penetrate the fines and thereby sterilize the onion seeds. However the steam heat will not scorch the grain and will in fact dry the grain and condition the same for subsequent grinding and shipping.

It is important to note that the action of the steam heat on the onion seeds contained in the grain sterilizes the seeds, renders the same light, chaflf-like and lifeless sothat when the grain containing the onion seeds is subsequently passed through a cleaner the action of the blower will thoroughly and absolutely separate the onion seeds from the grain. As a result of experiment with this invention it has been found that the onions by being rendered much lighter may be carried off with the chaff by the blower and consequently the grain is supplied to the grinder at a later period entirely free from onion seeds.

Also it has been found that the action of the steam heat on the grain will not scorch the grain and as previously stated the quality of the grain is not in any way lowered.

After the grain has been passed through the cleaner in the old and well known manner and the onions removed therefrom in a chafi-like state the grain is milled and as the grain is free from the onion seeds the milling operation may be expeditiously and economically performed. The rollers are not coated and consequently it isnot necessary to periodically stop the mill for the purpose of scraping the rollers.

It might be stated that millers are very much opposed to grinding wheat containing onion seeds as this cannot be profitably done for the reasons previously mentioned. Therefore the grain containing the onion seeds is in many cases supplied to cattle.

Grain milled in the absence of onions is, of course, free of the undesirable taste of onions and commands a good price on the market.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 the grain is discharged into' a supplemental heater generally designated by the numeral 90 and which includes a plurality of compartments 91, each one of which isof a capacity equal to the capacity of all the fines. When the material is discharged from the fines 7 it enters the uppermost compartment 91 and is retained therein for the desired period so as to continue the heating process by means of which the onions are thoroughly treated and rendered chaff-like. vWhen the prolonged heating process has been completed in the uppermost compartment, a valve 93 is operated so as to discharge the material into the next compartment. It is understood, of course, that the valve 93 in the bottom of the next compartment is closed so that the material will n'rit fall through the several compartments accidentally. The material is gradually passed through the several compartments 91 and the heat contained therein continues the heating or cooking process of the onions to produce the previ ously mentioned advantage. 7

The several compartments are provided with indicators 94 and with air valves 95 to prevent the formation of a vacuum in any one of the compartments as the material passes through the same. Also each compartment is provided with a sight opening 98 by means of which may be conveniently ascertained the quantity of material in the several compartments. 7

It is to he understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be made as will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed is 1. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a cylinder adapted for the reception of steam. a plurality of fines extending vertically through the cylinder and adapted for the reception of onion see-d containing grain. a supplemental heating chamber secured to the lower portion of the cylinder and having a plurality of compartments, each one of which is equal to the capacity of all the flues and valves controlling communication between the several compartments.

2. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a cylinder adapted for the reception of steam, a plurality of fines extending Vertically through the cylinder and adapted for the reception of onion seed containing grain, a supplemental heating chamber secured to the lower portion of the cylinder and having a plurality of compartments, each one of Which is equal to the capacity of all the flues, and valves controlling communication between the several compartments, a heat register for each or the compartments, and air lnlet and exhaust means for the several compartments.

HENRY J. DANIEL. 

